Forever in a Moon
by Spaced-out Luna
Summary: Alternate ending to Omen of the Stars. The mysterious fourth at the end of Sign of the Moon is revealed to be a loner, whom Jayfeather feels he knows, as if from a past life...
1. Prologue

"_I will wait for you forever, Jay's Wing!"_

_~Half Moon, Sign of the Moon_

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

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><p><em>Thick clouds covered the moon above<em> Fourtrees. The bushes rustled as a tired-looking brown tom padded towards the Great Oak. His once sharp yellow eyes stared longingly at its branches, and his eyes clouded over with memories. Whatever time he sent himself back to in those moments was cleared away like petals from a flower in a strong breeze as a she-cat with a scarred face plopped down next to him.

"Greetings, Yellowfang." The tom's voice sounded tired and worn and he barely glanced at his visitor.

"You look like something a badger sat on," Yellowfang remarked with her tone of bitter affection, "You'll fade away to nothing worrying like this. You're not protecting the cat that's trekking down a mountainside blind."

The tom watched the clouds drift away as moonlight flooded the clearing. "You always did have a soft spot for Jayfeather." Yellowfang's ears twitched, but she said nothing. "It's been a long time since you've spoken to me, Yellowfang."

"The last time I saw our son, I was shoving deathberries down his throat," Sudden, uncharacteristic emotion choked Yellowfang's mew, "It was you, who thought Brokenstar could do no harm, who made him what he is today, Raggedstar."

Raggedstar hissed and lashed his tail, "You're right, Yellowfang; I have nothing more to say to you."

Yellowfang's amber gazed watched as her mate strode out of the clearing, "Jayfeather, I know you're there," She said after a few moments, without turning around.

The black tom emerged from the shadows, his usually blind eyes now wide with sight. "Soft spot, huh?" When Yellowfang didn't respond, he went on, "So who's the fourth?"

At this, Yellowfang spun around. "Fourth? Fourth what?"

"I- I was hoping it was Hollyleaf…"

Jayfeather's response was cut off as Yellowfang barreled him over, "Maybe you haven't gotten this into your mind, you stupid furball." Jayfeather could smell her rancid breath in his face, "Why don't you see Fallen Leaves up here? Or Hollyleaf? It's because their spirits stay in the tunnels. They're trapped. Forever, like the faded spirits. The Tribe's ancestors don't walk these skies. They can't help you."

"Or Hollyleaf could be alive!" Jayfeather spat back, sounding like a protesting kit.

"Yes, or maybe I won't have to fight my own son in battle. Or maybe I'm a flying badger!" Yellowfang was foaming at the mouth; she looked to Jayfeather like she had finally gone mad.

Yellowfang stalked away from Jayfeather, muttering something about trust and loyalty. Jayfeather, not knowing what else to do, backed away into the trees.

Hollyleaf; his mind went back to the clump of black fur he and Lionblaze had found under the rocks of the tunnels. And if the Tribe's ancestors aren't supposed to walk StarClan's skies, how come he could speak with Rock? Jayfeather froze as he realized something, Yellowfang hadn't answered his question. The StarClan cats didn't know about the fourth cat; was StarClan powerless now?

Jayfeather stumbled over brambles, and the familiar scent of ThunderClan mixed with the cold air of the mountains as he opened his eyes and was pushed into darkness once more.


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N:** So, this is my tribute to Half Moon. Because of spring break, it's going to be my goal to post a chapter a day. I'm going to give myself a challenge by writing for Jayfeather, so we'll see how it goes.

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><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

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><p><em>It had seemed like ten moons<em> to Jayfeather since he had smelled the familiar scent marks of ThunderClan territory, since he had heard the rustling of the leaves of a squirrel scurrying up a tree, since he had felt the smooth rock underpaw as he padded into the ThunderClan camp. His dreams had been haunted, filled with darkness and trapped voices ever since he had last spoken to Half Moon.

Jayfeather stumbled into camp, followed by Squirrelflight, Dovewing, Foxleap, and the patrol they had run into, which consisted of Blossomfall, Cinderheart, and Brambleclaw. Brambleclaw hadn't spoken at all on the trek back, despite all of Squirrelflight's comments that were obviously aimed at him. Jayfeather kept his mouth shut as well; he was too exhausted to even think of the current relations in the Clan.

He barely noticed Firestar and Ivypool's greetings as he headed for the Medicine Cat den, his head down and his tail dragging. Jayfeather ignored Leafpool and Briarlight's questions, too; all that was on his mind was sleep. Once he hit the moss of his warm, familiar nest, Jayfeather was fast asleep.

The bliss of rest didn't last for long; Jayfeather opened his eyes to the cold mountainside of the Tribe's territory. _Can't I ever get away from this place?_ But something wasn't right. There weren't any scent markers of the Tribe, no pawprints in the snow, no sounds other than the roar of the wind. Confused, Jayfeather padded through the thick, white sheet of the snowstorm, looking for some sign of life.

Then he heard a loud cry pierce the dream; instantly, Jayfeather was reminded of Swoop being carried off by the Eagle. He ran blindly towards the sound, almost toppling over into a vast chasm. A white-colored cat was hanging on with one paw, her lower half dangling over into the darkness below.

Instinctively, Jayfeather tried to grab her by the scruff, but his teeth went right through the she-cat, as if she wasn't really there. At that moment, the white cat looked up, and Jayfeather found himself staring into shockingly familiar green eyes.

"Jay's Wing?" Half Moon's voice didn't sound like her; she sounded confused, as if she'd never seen Jayfeather before but somehow knew his name.

Once more, Jayfeather reached down to Half Moon, trying to get a grip on her pelt, but every time his paw simply passed through her. She kept calling his name, though, with the same tone of confusion that was so unlike the Half Moon Jayfeather knew. A sharp prod in his side woke the Medicine Cat, and he found himself staring into the eyes of Briarlight.

"Jayfeather? You've been asleep for a moon!" She prodded Jayfeather in his side playfully again, "Get up! Dovewing got a thorn stuck in her paw on the way back, remember?"

Jayfeather stood slowly, feeling like he had run a thousand three-lengths, "Comfrey and goldenrod, you know that," He growled with impatience, padding toward his store.

Excitement radiated from the young warrior, "I replenished the herb storage while you were gone! Gosh, Blossomfall must have searched the whole forest…"

Briarlight's word faded way as Jayfeather remembered his dream. Why was he dreaming about Half Moon now? The last time he was sent back to the time of the ancients, he had easily assimilated back into daily Clan life. Now, he longed for his old life as Jay's Wing, with Dove's Wing, Lion's Roar, and Half Moon.

_Stupid mouse-brain_, Jayfeather thought, _you're a Medicine Cat, and Half Moon is dead. There's nothing more you can do about it._

He sniffed through his herb store and found that Briarlight was right; luckily, most of his herb patches had grown back over newleaf. He took a few leaves of comfrey and goldenrod and started to back out of the cave. Then he brushed up against something furry.

Jayfeather whirled around, wondering if Briarlight had followed him inside. But the only scent that came to him was the long-forgotten scent of Hollyleaf. Jayfeather's hopes faded as he realized he must have dislodged the patch of Hollyleaf's fur he had found so many moons ago. Setting the herbs down, Jayfeather pawed his sister's fur, letting the scent bring his mind back to ThunderClan and away from the mountains.

"Jayfeather?"

Dovewing's call shook Jayfeather from his thoughts. He tucked the patch of fur behind a rock in the back of his store, picked up the leaves, and ducked out of his cave.

Dovewing stood holding up one paw, and Briarlight was licking the wound clean. Jayfeather distractedly set the leaves down beside the crippled cat and padded out of his den without another word.

Without thinking, Jayfeather padded up to Firestar's den and called inside.

The ginger-colored tom appeared in the darkness of his den, "Jayfeather. I was hoping you would wake up soon."

"I want to explore the tunnels," Jayfeather announced without hesitation.

Firestar was still for a long moment, "You want to explore the tunnels," Jayfeather could sense hesitation and caution in his leader's tone, "I don't suppose reminding you how dangerous that is could change your mind?"

Jayfeather dipped his head in response, "I want Lionblaze to come with me."

"I understand your curiosity, Jayfeather, but the risks rather outweigh any advantage the tunnels could give us. It would be especially dangerous and controversial to allow such a thing. I've told enough lies to my Clanmates." The last part faded away as Firestar turned to go back inside his den, and Jayfeather felt a flash of his leader's pain.

But something from the tunnels seemed to be calling to him. Something told Jayfeather that the Tribe had a role to play in the prophecy and the upcoming battle with the Dark Forest. He would have to convince Firestar somehow, and he could think of only one way to do so.

"Lionblaze and I found a patch of Hollyleaf's fur in the tunnels." Jayfeather blurted out.

This stopped the ginger tom in his tracks, "Hollyleaf is... alive?"

Jayfeather shook his head, "We don't know. But she wasn't crushed by the rocks."

Firestar was silent for a long moment, and eventually his memories became too strong for Jayfeather to ignore. He was taken back to the time of Bluestar's leadership, when Firestar first came to the forest. He saw the light grey she-cat in her prime, her pelt neat and well-groomed, her eyes sharp as she looked down on the golden-furred kittypet called Rusty. Then the memories rushed together; there was Firestar's apprentice and warrior ceremonies, Bluestar refusing to believe Tigerstar, Tigerclaw at the time, was capable of murdering Redtail, Tigerclaw facing Bluestar as her attempted assassin, Bluestar appointing Firestar deputy after moon-high, then the leader's tired eyes as she declared she had given up her faith in StarClan. Her death came as a blur in Firestar's memories, and Jayfeather pulled away when he realized Firestar's next memory was his leader ceremony. Not even the Medicine Cat was supposed to know what went on in the forest of StarClan then.

"I trust you, Jayfeather." Firestar said simply, and walked back into his den.

Jayfeather stood, trying to decide whether that was an acceptance or refusal. But after watching Firestar's memories, Jayfeather realized it was both. Firestar wouldn't lie to his Clanmates any longer, and he would have nothing to do with any exploration of the tunnels. That didn't necessarily mean the leader was prohibiting Jayfeather's suggestion, either.

The Medicine Cat padded down the trail of the Highrock. He would have to find Lionblaze.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

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><p><em>A soft breeze chilled the moonless <em>forest as Jayfeather followed Lionblaze's tracks, weaving through the trees. They had decided they would have less chance of running into a patrol in the cover of night, but they hadn't planned for the absence of the moon so deep under the cover of the trees would only contribute to the lack of light in the tunnels. It was almost a full moon, but not even a ray of light could be seen through the dense canopy above.

Jayfeather almost ran into his brother, he had stopped so short, "Did you see that?"

"No, I didn't. I didn't _see anything_."

But Lionblaze seemed oblivious to Jayfeather's slanted comment. He was silent for too long, Jayfeather started to worry he had run off without him.

"Lionblaze? What is it?"

"I saw something… a shadow, I guess. But it looked like…" There was a rustle in the bushes to Jayfeather's right, "It- looked like that."

Jayfeather scented the air. All he could smell was the stale ThunderClan scent marks, and the dank smell of the tunnels. They must have been no more than a few fox-lengths ahead.

"Come on, let's get on with this." Jayfeather said impatiently, brushing past Lionblaze towards the tunnel entrance.

After a few moments, he heard Lionblaze's footsteps behind him, "We'll need a path to get down there; did our tree branch fall in?"

Jayfeather searched with his front paws for the edge of the hole Icecloud made, and would have fallen in if he hadn't been caught by the scruff from behind.

"Thanks, Lionblaze." Jayfeather mumbled indignantly.

Lionblaze didn't respond, but he heard a scuffling sound from the forest.

"I managed to find another log we can use as a bridge, Jay. Maybe we can cover it with leaves once we're done with it so no one…" Lionblaze's voice trailed off once he realized there was another cat dangling Jayfeather over the tunnels.

All three cats were silent for a few moments. Jayfeather tried to figure out why he didn't smell this cat before, but even now the only scent that came to him was of the trees and bracken.

"Be careful where you're going." The voice said, muffled by Jayfeather's fur, "I almost didn't see that ledge either. I wonder what's down there..."

That voice; it reminded Jayfeather of something from his kithood. Was it Squirrelflight? No, if it was her, she would have shown herself before now. It wasn't a Clan cat, that was for sure. The scent of the she-cat was simply of the forest, not any Clan in particular.

"Who are you?" The cat put Jayfeather down as Lionblaze spoke. His brother sounded wondrous, not wary or demanding at all.

It took Jayfeather a moment to realize he was beginning to actually _see_ the she-cat, as if some moonlight cast a ray down to her, and activated his vision.

The cat was mostly covered with shadow; from the tree or Jayfeather's blurred vision he wasn't sure. But she was a marvelous white; obviously she had not been in the forest for long. When she turned to look at Jayfeather, her green eyes reflected the light from the unknown source.

"I'm Crescent. I… I think I must have hit my head because, quite frankly, I can't remember anything before waking up here, in front of this crevasse."

There was that nagging feeling again. Jayfeather was reminded of his warm nest in the nursery, of Squirrelflight when he was absolutely sure she had kitted him. But his nest didn't feel right; it felt smooth, not like moss at all. Suddenly, Jayfeather's fur was pulled one way, then another from a sudden gust of air, and he had to dig his claws into the soft grass to keep from being pulled into the tunnels.

"Jay?" His brother's mew brought him back to the forest. Jayfeather realized there was no wind, and he was blind once again, "Is everything OK?"

"Yeah," Jayfeather shook himself, pushing away the sudden vision, "Just fine."

"You do realize you're on Clan territory…" Lionblaze said to Crescent, seeming to realize who he was and where this loner was. But he still sounded unsure, as if he was talking to a lost kit. Lionblaze was being too careful, too sensitive. This cat could easily be a spy from ShadowClan, sent to... to what?

Something made Jayfeather instinctively trust Crescent. She seemed kind, and when Jayfeather tried to find her memories, he only found the same gust of wind that he had felt before. Perhaps she had lost her way from the twolegplace in a wind storm. Jayfeather tried to remember if there had been any storms recently, but he seemed to have forgotten everything that had happened before this white cat had appeared.

Crescent's eyes swiped over Lionblaze, and Jayfeather felt a wave of tension from the she-cat.

"Lion's Roar?" The loner said in a much wiser, older voice that made Jayfeather freeze. In that instant, he realized he knew exactly where he had heard that name before, and where he knew this cat from.

"Oh, no, I don't. What, exactly, is a Clan?" The she-cat responded as if she never said Lionblaze's name from the ancient times.

"We'd better take her to Firestar, right Jayfeather? Jayfeather?"

But Jay's Wing didn't hear his brother's uncharacteristically confused comment, he wasn't even in the forest anymore. His feet where standing on ThunderClan territory, but his mind was in the mountains.


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Eeek! I'm so, so sorry for not updating. I started this chapter, and then I forgot all about it. Updates will be a lot slower now, because of all my finals in May. After that I'll have all the time in the world to finish this.

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><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

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><p>"<em>Jayfeather? You've looked different; moony, the<em> whole way back," Lionblaze was speaking, "Did you hit something when you fell?"

How was Jayfeather supposed to tell Lionblaze who Crescent really was? No one except him knew of his visits to the ancient times, or that he and the other three were all reincarnations of the original three. What's more, should Firestar know about this? After all, the prophecy was sent to him.

_No,_ Firestar had said he wouldn't be responsible for this secret any more. But Dovewing and Lionblaze had to know, Ivypool too. She deserved to know everything about her sister's destiny; she was putting her life on the line every night for it.

The patrol strolled into camp, with Jayfeather stumbling behind them. Cinderheart, who had been dozing in a patch of sun, sat up at the sight of the loner.

"What happened?" She ran up to the group and paused in front of Lionblaze and Crescent, "WindClan?"

"It's nothing; we found a loner on the ShadowClan border. We're taking her to see Firestar."

Jayfeather nosed past Cinderheart, trusting Lionblaze and Crescent would follow.

He stopped in front of the Highrock and turned to face Crescent, "Our leader's den is up there. He can…" Jayfeather trailed off, wondering what Firestar should do. Crescent would have to stay, maybe she could help Jayfeather find out more about the prophecy, "He'll know what to do." Jayfeather finished.

Crescent was silent for a while, and Jayfeather began wondering if she had already started walking. Until she finally said, "I believe you."

Jayfeather's fur started to bristle at the familiar phrase, "Don't say that!" He spat.

Waves of surprise radiated from the loner, "I… I mean, you should get going."

_Mouse dung!_ Jayfeather thought as he left his stupid response hanging. He turned away from Crescent and shouldered Lionblaze as he walked past.

"Jayfeather, what's wrong with you? Crescent's a perfectly nice cat and you just…"

"She's not who you think she is." Jayfeather stopped his brother mid-sentence, wondering when Lionblaze had become so concerned with respecting intruders, "Dovewing and Ivypool need to hear this too."

"Ivypool's out on a patrol, and Dovewing was with Cinderheart just a moment ago. Does Firestar know anything?"

Jayfeather shook his head, "He told me he wouldn't be a part of this anymore. Whatever comes out of this is our responsibility now."

Lionblaze sighed, "Well, let's go get Dovewing."

The two were stopped as Firestar's familiar call rang out from the Highrock. Jayfeather swung his head in the direction of the sound, and then followed Lionblaze into the clearing. He took a seat by Dovewing, hoping he could catch her before Brambleclaw put her on a patrol.

"Cats of ThunderClan," Firestar started, "A small patrol has found a loner on the ShadowClan border. She recalls nothing of her past, and seems to have hit her head. She poses no threat to us, and has asked to stay." Here, Firestar paused, and Jayfeather could sense tension in every one of his Clanmates, "I have decided to welcome Crescent into our Clan."

The Clan was silent, which surprised Jayfeather more than if they had all sprouted wings and started chirping like birds. Did this mean they approved of Firestar's decision? After all, Cloudtail, Millie, Daisy, and Purdy were all from outside of the Clans.

Finally, Brambleclaw spoke up, "What will the other Clans say?" The Clan remained silent, waiting Firestar's response.

"They don't have to know," Firestar said carefully after a pause, "When we took in Cloudtail and Yellowfang, we didn't tell the other Clans. They don't have to know." Firestar repeated himself uncharacteristically.

At this, there was the familiar low chatter of various groups of cats. Luckily, no one seemed to be extremely opposed to the idea, or else they would have yelled out a protest before.

"Crescent! Crescent!" Lionblaze started chanting.

_Is he out of his mind?_ Jayfeather waited for someone to join in, and about half the Clan began cheering the loner's name half-heartedly. Lionblaze seemed to have forgotten what Jayfeather had told him; he seemed to be the loudest cat in the clearing.

As Jayfeather turned toward the Highrock, he realized he could see the faintest outline of the white she-cat. And her bright green eyes were starting directly at him.


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Sorry for the late update, everyone! I know how much you all wanted this chapter, so now I'll have a lot more time to finish this story. I have some great ideas for this; even though I originally came up with the idea wanting to develop Half Moon's character, I'm definitely taking _Forever in a Moon_ farther than that.

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><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

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><p>"<em>Shouldn't we wait until moonhigh, Jayfeather?" <em>Lionblaze whispered as he followed Jayfeather and Dovewing out of the camp, "I mean, we could run into a patrol at any time now."

"Not with me around, smart one." Dovewing brushed past Lionblaze and bounded ahead, "Besides, if this is as important as Jayfeather says it is, it's better to hear this sooner rather than later."

Jayfeather hadn't said anything the whole trek across ThunderClan's territory. Lionblaze hadn't bothered to ask where Jayfeather was taking them; he knew if his brother wanted to tell them, they'd know. They had been walking beside the old thunderpath for only a few fox-lengths when Jayfeather turned to face his milky blind eyes towards his companions.

"You remember when we found the tunnels," Jayfeather spoke to Lionblaze after a long pause, "After visiting the tunnels I... had a vision. I was taken back to the time of the ancient Tribe, when they lived by the lake. My name was Jay's Wing... I think he was an actual tribe cat in the ancient times.

"I helped convince everyone they needed to leave the lake to go to the mountains. When we went back to the tribe, I had the same vision about the ancient times, but I had to convince the Tribe to stay in the mountains." Jayfeather paused; Lionblaze and Dovewing were silent, waiting for the Medicine Cat to continue.

"During both these visions, I met a cat named Half Moon. She and Jay's Wing were obviously friends, and..." Jayfeather trailed off, then shook his head and started talking again, "There were two other cats; Lion's Roar and Dove's Wing. I- I think we are the reincarnations of the Three from the ancient times."

Jayfeather felt waves of anxiety and many questions radiate from Lionblaze and Dovewing, but he held up his tail, stopping them before they said anything, "I also think Crescent is a reincarnation of Half Moon."

"Jayfeather, this is crazy! It must just be some coincidence. How can you be so sure Crescent is really Half Moon? Does StarClan even have the power to reincarnate cats?" Lionblaze burst out.

"Half Moon was Jay's Wing's mate in the ancient times," Jayfeather grumbled, surprising Lionblaze by not appearing angry, "I know it wasn't StarClan that reincarnated us. It's been done before."

Jayfeather took a breath, imagining his brother's reaction to what he was about to say, "Cinderheart is really an incarnation of Cinderpelt, the Medicine Cat before Leafpool who died during the badger attack in the old territory."

Lionblaze was still, and his mind was silent. Jayfeather was forced into his thoughts, they had appeared so suddnely.

Jayfeather saw Lionblaze sitting with Cinderheart by the lake, his tail entwined around hers.

"So we are more than friends?" His brother purred to the ashy she-cat.

The vision switched suddenly to a scene in the camp, "No! I can't be with you, your destiny is much greater than mine. We can't do this any more!" Cinderheart wailed, running away from a stricken Lionblaze.

"Wait, wait, wait," Dovewing mewed for the first time since Jayfeather spoke, "If Cinderheart is who you think she is, StarClan _must _have reincarnated her, right? What connection does she possibly have with us? And Half Moon?"

"StarClan doesn't even know about the Three," Jayfeather answered, getting ready to launch into another story about his dream with Yellowfang, "It was..."

"The Tribe." All three cats spun around to face the new voice.

Cinderheart padded out from the other side of the old thunderpath.

"Cinderheart!" Lionblaze exclaimed, running to meet her. His energy faded as he skidded to a halt in front of Cinderheart, "How... how long have you been here?"

The she-cat stood still for a while, "Rock came to me in a dream. I don't know what Half Moon or I have to do with the prophecy, but StarClan didn't plan you three. It was the Tribe of Endless Hunting."

Jayfeather just nodded, no surprise betrayed him on his face, "Yellowfang didn't know what I was talking about when I asked her..." He trailed off again, "When I asked her about the tunnels."

Lionblaze lowered his head in confusion, "StarClan's powerless, Firestar's powerless, not to mention the Dark Forest is rising, what does that have to do with this?

Dovewing shook her head, "Maybe the Dark Forest doesn't even know about the reincarnations, or even that the Tribe exists." The she-cat's eyes grew round with thought, "That makes sense, though. Where do the evil Tribe cats go when they die?" Her ears swiveled, almost like she could use her supernatural senses to listen to the Dark Forest talk right then and there.

Lionblaze looked like he was about to give up, "How are we supposed to figure this out?"

Jayfeather jerked his head up, "I think I have an idea."


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: **I've planned the rest of _FIAM_, and it's going to have at least five more chapters, not including the epilogue. I don't think I'll be able to write this fic without changing _everything_ about the series, and adding lots of drama with other pairings besides Jayfeather and Half Moon. This will be my first time doing anything that's not canon, or based off of canon, and I'll try my very hardest to keep the characters IC. But let me tell you, _FIAM_ will be like nothing you've ever seen before.

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><p><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

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><p>"<em>The moon never shines in the<em> Place of No Stars, right?" Jayfeather was speaking with a strange urgency in his voice, as he led the small group of cats up the abandoned thunderpath, "That's where the evil cats of the Clans go when they die. Dovewing's right, is there a place in the Dark Forest for evil Tribe cats?"

"Ivypool would be the logical cat to go to," Lionblaze started speaking in rapid-fire like his brother, "She knows so much about the Dark Forest."

"Why does Ivypool know about the Dark Forest?"

Jayfeather, Lionblaze, and Dovewing stopped suddenly. They had almost forgotten Cinderheart was there, but now she stood in front of them with her fur on end, curiosity of a former mentor sparking in her eyes. Lionblaze and Dovewing's heads swiveled to Jayfeather, as if waiting his permission.

"She needs to know everything we know," Jayfeather decided with a sigh. He turned his blind gaze toward Lionblaze.

"Of course. I trust her with my life." Emotion choked Lionblaze's mew, and he looked toward Cinderheart, his eyes glazed over.

"Right," Jayfeather interrupted the heart-wrenching sight, "First, we knew about the tunnels before Icecloud fell in. Hollyleaf ran off after killing Ashfur, and ended up falling in herself. We think she may still be alive; her body wasn't found under the rocks that would have crushed her.

"Second, Ivypool has been visiting the Dark Forest for training. That's where she's been getting all of her scars. She was tricked by Tigerstar, but now she's working as a spy for the Clans. The cats of the Place of No Stars seem to be planning an attack on StarClan and the cats of the lake; we don't know any of the details. Dovewing was..."

Jayfeather was cut off by a wail from Cinderheart, as she flung herself at Lionblaze, "You expected us to have a relationship when you were keeping all these lies from me?" Fire blazed in her bright blue eyes, "Why is Jayfeather telling me all this now? How long have you known? What made you think we could raise kits in such a swamp of secrets? Does Firestar know? Do the other Clans know? Does StarClan know? Is that why you said StarClan was powerless? Why aren't we training warriors for this battle? How are we supposed to fight the most ferocious cats in the history of the Clans?"

Lionblaze flinched at every question fired at him, like they were blows to his head. Cinderheart was panting by the time she was finished with all her questions; not knowing what to do, she threw Lionblaze aside and stormed away.

Cinderheart sat down in a huff at the treeline, looking at her paws and trying to catch her breath.

After a few moments, Jayfeather padded over to the she-cat calmly, "It's a lot to take in," He started gently, "We've kept these things from the rest of the Clan, too. The history of the Clans are filled with webs of secrets and lies, but the four Clans are still standing, right? StarClan may be powerless, but I know someone who's not."

Cinderheart didn't answer. Jayfeather sighed, "We're going to need your help to fix this." His voice was forced, but there was obvious truth and emotion in his mew.

The forest was quiet. Jayfeather couldn't hear any birds singing, or creatures scuttling in the bracken. The only thing Jayfeather heard was with own heart beat.

"Yes," Cinderpelt stood up and faced Lionblaze, "Yes, you are going to need my help," She swiveled her head towards the blind Medicine Cat, "Who, amidst all this chaos, could possibly still have power?"

For the first time in moons, a smile crept on to Jayfeather's face, "Rock."

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><p>"<em>Moons ago, I was given a <em>prophecy," Jayfeather explained as he led the party of cats through the forest, "StarClan turned to ice and was destroyed, but Rock remained. He knows the most about the tunnels and the Tribe. If anyone knows how to stop the Dark Forest, it's Rock."

Jayfeather's paws felt relieved when they hit the smooth, well-worn rock around the Moonpool. Without a word, he touched his nose to the water, not waiting for the rest of the group to catch up.

"Dreams are a powerful thing." Jayfeather was startled awake by the sudden age in Rock's voice. He stood up to face the unblinking, bulging eyes he had stared into so many times.

"Your power has made you oblivious to the reality of it all," Rock continued, "You ask for too much information. Information that I'm sure you don't want to hear."

"Can't you help us?" Jayfeather asked desperately, "Surely you have some idea of what's going on?"

Rock shook his head, "I know exactly what StarClan and the Dark Forest are fighting. But take a look around you."

For the first time, Jayfeather surveyed his surroundings. He was still at the Moonpool, but all of ThunderClan was there was well.

"StarClan warned the Clans to cut off all ties. To stand alone. You misinterpreted this as StarClan predicting war between the cats by the lake. No, in order to triumph over this, the Clans must band together once more."

"But what are we fighting?" Jayfeather almost whined. He had just about had it with all this dancing around his question.

Rock was silent for a long time. Jayfeather looked around at his Clanmates for help, but they had all vanished.

Finally, the anger inside Jayfeather was too much. He let his mind wander, and reached into Rock's thoughts.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

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><p>Light from an unseen moon beat down on Jayfeather, streaking through the branches and making jagged lines of light on the earth. At first, the Medicine Cat crouched down, ready to run; it appeared he had landed in the middle of the Dark Forest.<p>

"What are you doing here?"

Jayfeather swung his head around in surprise; he hadn't heard another cat walk over the thick blanket of fallen leaves that covered the ground. He blinked in the sudden light of his dream-vision, and faced a scene from Rock's past.

Feathertail had been the one to speak. She circled Rock with fury in her eyes, but Jayfeather could tell she was hiding anguish and longing.

"Tell me why you're here," Feathertail repeated, almost in a sob, "I just want to go back to StarClan!"

"You walk a dangerous path, even in death." Rock sat still, showing no sign of attack or leaving, "You've stayed too long in the Tribe of Endless Hunting that you've forgotten the way back."

Jayfeather began to back away from the two cats, but when his feet made so sound over the decaying leaves, he was reminded no one could see him. He tried to make reason of what he was seeing. Feathertail must be allowed in both afterlives of the cats; she had died on Tribe territory while defending them, and she was a Clan cat. But what was Rock doing here? And where was "here", exactly?

Feathertail looked like she was about to speak when the vision whirled away, leaving Jayfeather behind. He was standing at the Moonpool, but something was different. Jayfeather swung his head around and spotted Rock, wading a few mouse-lengths into the water.

There was the tiniest rustle in the bushes to Jayfeather's side, and for the first time, Rock looked directly towards the sound. Jayfeather gasped. Rock's eyes weren't bulging and blind like they were when he showed himself to Jayfeather, but instead, they were a piercing bright blue.

The Healer also had a long, blue-like pelt that shone in the water. Jayfeather had never pictured Rock as a young cat, but here he was. Rock looked strong and fit, with broad shoulders and powerful paws. The intruder's sense of intimidation was so strong Jayfeather could feel it from where he was standing. This Rock was definitely not a cat to mess with.

"I see you, Bright Star."

There was a sigh, and a beautiful short-haired she-cat stepped out of the shadows. She had pure white-colored fur and dark amber eyes. Her gaze seemed just as piercing as Rock's, if not more so.

A long pause followed the she-cat's entrance. Rock gazed downward at the murky water, and Bright Star looked directly at him, as if daring him to meet her gaze.

Jayfeather padded toward Bright Star to see if she had any mountain scent on her, when he realized what was wrong. Looking down at the smooth ground surrounding the Moonpool, Jayfeather saw that there weren't any paw marks. He turned his head back to Rock, wondering just how old this cat was.

"I need more time," Rock said after a while, still not looking at Bright Star.

"How long should this take? We already have our stories ready. If we wait any longer, my belly will have swollen so much no one would believe us!"

Jayfeather could only stare at the she-cat. Now that he noticed, she was bulging at her sides. But could Rock...?

"We don't have to tell them I'm the father," Rock growled, his face twisting in an expression of anger Jayfeather had never seen him use before, "They just have to believe I found you on our land. You could say you were looking for somewhere to raise your kits."

Bright Star answered Rock with another growl, "You know that would never work. My kits are going to look just like you. I need to be able to fight when this happens, and I can't fight if I'm weighed down, or if I'm suckling kits!"

"Fine!" Rock spat, looking straight at Bright Star for the first time. Something was exchanged in the few seconds hesitation Rock took staring into his mate's amber eyes, but Jayfeather couldn't tell exactly what it was. He could only sense betrayal in Rock's mind, and loyalty in Bright Star's.

"Give me until half moon." Rock continued, glancing back down at the water, "I promise we'll have all we ever wanted."

Jayfeather was plunged once more into the whirlwind of thoughts, but he landed back at the Moonpool. He was surrounded by cats, and they were all fighting.

Rain pelted down, leaving the ground muddy, and Jayfeather watched as each cat left their own distinct paw print where they landed. Mud splattered everywhere, and yowls came from every direction. Jayfeather turned and recognized Fallen Leaves's mother, Broken Shadow, but she looked much younger, no more than six moons old.

The Medicine Cat twisted through the battling cats, searching for Rock or Bright Star. He heard Rock before he saw him, as did every other cat by the Moonpool.

His voice rung out suddenly over the din, "STOP!"

Jayfeather turned his head along with the crowd to face Rock, blood running in streams down from both his eyes, "I can't watch this any more. This was all a trick; Bright Star didn't really overhear Small Fish planning an attack, she just wanted more land for her Tribe, and needed a reason to attack."

Rock raised his red-stained head bravely, "As her second-in-command, I went along with it, but I can't any more. I hereby banish Bright Star from our territory, she may never see her kits again."

As the clearing erupted into chaos, Jayfeather was swept away from the scene, and into a nursery somewhere in the forest territories. Rock was there, his eyes now the familiar bulging, sightless things Jayfeather remembered. He was looking over a nest where a sleeping gray and white kit lay.

Rock smiled as the kit yawned and opened her eyes. She had Rock's bright blue gaze, and now that Jayfeather noticed, her pelt was a mixture of Rock's gray and Bright Star's white.

Rock gave the kit a lick on her forehead, "Sleep well, Rising Moon. I have to meet with your mother."

Jayfeather followed Rock out of the camp, and he finally had time to think. Where had he heard the name Rising Moon before?

_She must just be one of the ancients I saw as Jay's Wing,_ Jayfeather told himself. He shook the thought away and began observing his surroundings. They must be near ThunderClan territory, because he recognized the ancient oak and the clearing that marked the border with ShadowClan.

"So you decided to come." Bright Star padded out of the shadows as she had once done by the Moonpool what seemed like hundreds of moons ago, "Your acting was so real at the battle, I actually thought you were loyal to the Tribe."

Rock brushed his pelt against Bright Star's, "Rising Moon is doing well, despite the early birth. But the Tribe is sleeping, still weakened by the battle. Now would be the perfect time to..."

"Rock!" Four figures emerged behind Bright Star, and Rock quickly jumped away from her. Broken Shadow was among the patrol.

"We thought we scented another cat come this way, but we didn't think you would..." Broken Shadow's fur began to bristle as she caught sight of Bright Star, "Rock, this cat is an intruder! We must attack!"

Jayfeather knew Rock couldn't see his mate, but her eyes turned to him anyway, the usual fire in them not blazing. Instead, her amber gaze was round and pleading.

Despite his blindness, Rock turned his gaze downward, "I would give anything to see you one more time."

Bright Star didn't even try to defend herself when Rock launched himself at her. She stood standing as his claws ripped through her throat, and her eyes were full of disbelief as she fell to the ground.

Jayfeather wanted to back away from the gruesome scene, but as the she-cat's mouth began to move, he moved forward to hear her last words before she closed her eyes, "I love you, Falling Rock."


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N: **For those who are wondering, I decided to make Rock evil because I wanted a back story for him. It occurred to me, why don't we know anything about Rock's past? Is he trying to hide something that he's ashamed of? Or is he really evil? So, I went for the plot twist.

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><p><strong>Chapter 7<strong>

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><p>Rock's eyes appeared like two moons on a dark night in front of Jayfeather. He gasped for air, as if emerging from a long swim underwater.<p>

Rock waited patiently until Jayfeather caught his breath. Finally he rasped, "What- what were you planning? With Bright Star?"

"To take over the forest," Rock said simply with a chuckle, "We were going to banish all those who defied us to the mountains, but that happened one way or another."

"And Rising Moon? Why does her name..."

"You've met before," Rock was quick to answer Jayfeather's questions for once, "Rising Moon is Half Moon's mother."

Jayfeather felt dizzy, "But what does any of this have to do with the Dark Forest?"

Rock dipped his head. Without a word, he led Jayfeather away from the Moonpool and up the hills on the other side, away from the Clans' territories.

Once they were under the dense cover of trees on the other side, Jayfeather felt the temperature drop dramatically. Whispers from unseen creatures came from every direction, silenced only by the call of a single owl. The shadows from the trees seemed to surround Jayfeather, circling him, backing him into a corner with no escape.

"What is this place?" Jayfeather rasped, tripping over a gnarled root and snagging his pelt on a low branch.

"You are about to meet the Tribe of No Moon." As Rock spoke, almost fully faded cats began to pad out of the shadows.

While only the outlines of many cats were visible, Jayfeather could see they had marked their faces with stripes of blood, and their pelts had been crisscrossed with scars to make strange symbols.

"These cats have disgraced the Tribe's name so that they would never be allowed in the Tribe of Endless Hunting," Rock explained, padding around the circle the foreign cats had formed around Jayfeather, nodding to each in turn, "Our ancestors were forced to give up their territory to make a place for these cats." Rock turned to face Jayfeather, a sparkle in his blind, bulging eyes, "I one of them."

The dizziness returned, "You? One of _them_?" Jayfeather asked incredulously.

Rock nodded, "I had betrayed my Tribe by planning the attack at the Moonpool. I was actually the one who came up with the idea of sending to-bes through the tunnels. I found a way to avenge the death of Bright Star, so that generations to come would have a chance to know her pain."

As Rock spoke, a familiar white she-cat padded up to him. Their tails entwined, and Jayfeather realized they had identical scars on their backs.

"But you've always helped me," Jayfeather tried, "Surely StarClan would let you be apart of their lands..."

"You're right, Jayfeather." Rock sat down, ready to answer all Jayfeather's questions, "They would let me, if I wanted to. But I want nothing more than to spend my afterlife with Bright Star."

A purr came from the she-cat's direction, answered by the cheers from the Tribe of No Moon cats.

"What does the Dark Forest have to do with this?" Jayfeather continued. He would take advantage of Rock's open mood.

"The Dark Forest are less... observed by the StarClan cats. The Tribe of No Moon, however, are always at war with the Tribe of Endless Hunting, so we are constantly watched." Some cats in the circle growled, other unsheathed their claws, "But we found a way to get what we want without even StarClan suspecting us. We are more skilled in the ways of manipulation than the Dark Forest cats are; we are much more powerful.

"We have been possessing the cats of the Dark Forest to do our bidding for us. Where do you think Tigerstar learned to fight in water like that? He's never been anywhere near RiverClan. What about fighting a whole herd of cats? Did the moves look familiar to the ones we used to hunt giant birds in the mountains?

"And before you ask about the prophecy that Firestar was given, and why Yellowfang knows nothing of it, but the Dark Forest does, you should know that we wanted to create a force more poweful than StarClan. So we gave our most advanced skills to you three. However, we have just perfected a fourth, which is why we have sent Crescent to aid you in taking over StarClan."

"And you think I'd _want_ to take over StarClan?" Jayfeather spat. It seemed his whole world was falling apart; Rock, the cat he thought he could trust, was really evil?

"Why wouldn't you?" Rock asked simply, "The four of you, together, are more powerful than anything. Why not use that to your advantage?"

"Because we'd rather use them to keep the forest safe!" Jayfeather started to back away, "And now I'm going to go back and expose you for the traitor you really are!"

Surprisingly, the Tribe of No Moon cats disbanded, leaving Jayfeather plenty of room to escape. But before he went more than a few paces, Rock's voice stopped him.

"Don't you want to know what Crescent's power is?"

Jayfeather froze. The last thing he needed was the issue with Half Moon to pop up again, especially with his Medicine Cat status. But, knowing he would never see Rock like this again, Jayfeather turned around.

The sight that met Jayfeather's eyes was not the Tribe of No Moon's forest, but the ThunderClan camp. Crescent was talking with Leafpool.

"And Brightheart's been showing me all these cool battle moves!" Crescent swerved to one side, then did a perfect roll and got to her feet as quick as a snake with a clean slash of her forepaw.

Leafpool's praise was lost as Jayfeather was carried back to the Tribe of No Moon with the familiar gust of wind.

"I couldn't have done better," Bright Star spoke with mocking amusement.

"I speak with moons of wisdom, Jayfeather," Rock's voice had returned to normal; smooth as a pebble, "Why follow the traditions of cats who have proved to be powerless, even in death? You have so much more potential, so much you can bring to the forest."

Rock lowered his voice, "And if you were in charge, you could make your own rules. You wouldn't have to choose between Crescent and medicine."

The torrent of wind carried Jayfeather off his feet, and spun him around as fast as the thoughts in his mind.


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N: **Here's the point in my story where I'm going to change everything. I think I'll increase the rating from here on out to T to be safe, because of the way Firestar looses a life in this chapter, and the battle. Extra special thanks to h20girl14 for helping me through the Cinder/Lion drama scene.

To fireylove11: Lionblaze didn't really "drive Cinderheart away", she chose being deputy over being with him. But Cinderheart can't have a mate, because she's the deputy now, see? Just like Bluestar in _Bluestar's Prophecy._ There's going to be another drama scene with them after the battle as well, in case this one wasn't clear enough.

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><p><strong>Chapter 8<strong>

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><p><em>The clear water of the Moonpool<em> sparkled in Jayfeather's eyes as his dream vision slowly ebbed away. Instantly, he thought of Half Moon. She was sensitive, and he wasn't sure how she would take it if Jayfeather dumped all this information about the prophecy and Dark Forest on her at once.

_She'll believe me, that's what_, Jayfeather thought. That was the one thing he could count on.

Jayfeather was just thinking of how he would tell the Clan about the Dark Forest and the Tribe of No Moon, when he heard a battle cry coming from the other side of the Moonpool.

His tail was yanked down, and it was all Jayfeather could do to keep from yowling in pain.

"Sorry," whispered Lionblaze, "But I think we're the last cats Firestar wants to see right now."

"Firestar?" Jayfeather hissed back, "What's he..."

"Get down!" That was Cinderheart.

Jayfeather ducked his head, "What's he doing?" He whispered to Dovewing, "And why didn't you spot him before?"

"I did!" Came Dovewing's defensive hiss, "But you were so entranced by whatever you were dreaming about, we couldn't get you to wake up!"

Jayfeather was silent, deciding to explain later. He wanted to know what Firestar was doing at the Moonpool. He pushed his senses as far away as they could go, and tried to read Firestar's mind.

"I think he wants to find someone," Jayfeather told the cats, "He wants to kill... whoever it is."

"He's... drowning himself," Lionblaze announced, incredulous.

Everyone was silent for a few moments. Now that Jayfeather listened, he could hear the gruesome gurgling of water. He tried not to listen. While he was alone with his thoughts, something came to Jayfeather.

"The Dark Forest!" He could barely contain his voice in a whisper, "He wants to go to the Dark Forest to fight Tigerstar! But he still has an extra life, this will just take away one..."

"Should we stop him?" Cinderheart asked, worried.

"Too late." Dovewing's cryptic statement made everyone freeze; waiting, listening, for any sound of life, perhaps a gasp for air.

There was a collective sigh of relief as Firestar could be heard splashing to the surface.

"Firestar!" Cinderheart ran out into the clearing, worry laced in her mew, "Are you alright? Let's get back to the Clan so you..."

"Cinderheart." Firestar sounded urgent, and slightly crazed, "Protect ThunderClan, I'll be back by moonhigh."

"But wait!" Cinderheart blocked his path, "Where are you going?"

"To Mothermouth."

Dried leaves crunched and ferns rustled as Firestar ran from the Moonpool.

Cinderheart was speechless as she padded towards the three cats, still in hiding.

"I think it's safe to say our leader's as mad as a hare," Dovewing proclaimed after a long silence.

"Dovewing!" Grief radiated from Lionblaze, "Where's your sensitivity? Firestar's led ThunderClan though their toughest moons. I'm sure, whatever it is, Firestar can..."

"He'll die." All heads turned to Cinderheart, "Won't he? He said he'd be back by moonhigh. No cat can run that far without herbs, and even then..."

"We'll see." Jayfeather had already started walking down the hillside. He had grown tired of this conversation long ago, "But we have to tell Brambleclaw."

* * *

><p>"So, the three of you are part of a prophecy, the Dark Forest is rising to fight the Clans, Firestar's gone insane, and StarClan's powerless."<p>

"Nice to see you've taken it so well," Jayfeather grumbled, his voice tired from so much explaining. First Cinderheart, then Brambleclaw, who had just announced what he had heard to ThunderClan. They had explained about Crescent, too, but told Brambleclaw to keep it to himself.

"How are we expected to fight cats who are already dead?" That was Cloudtail.

"Once you kill them in the afterlife, they're gone forever," Ivypool spoke up. She kept silent after that, not wanting to give anything else away.

"There's nothing for us to do but fight," Lionblaze chimed in.

"What motivation could the Dark Forest possibly have? They want to take over StarClan, that much is clear." There was a stunned silence as Leafpool spoke up, "So why go for the Clans?"

"For whatever reason, they're planning an attack." Jayfeather knew exactly why the Tribe of No Moon wanted a battle, but he thought this was all ThunderClan needed to know.

"We must tell the other Clans!" Graystripe seemed to be itching for a battle; he was prancing around on his paws, his claws already unsheathed.

"It's a full moon tonight," Leafpool put in.

"That means we can tell the rest of the forest at the Gathering tonight," Brambleclaw finished for her, "We should leave behind our strongest warriors, in case the Dark Forest seizes the opportunity and tries to attack out camp."

"How are they going to do that, by the way?" Dustpelt didn't look like he believed a bit of what he was being told, "They're dead."

All eyes turned to Jayfeather, "We don't know," Jayfeather told the Clan after a breath, "They could use their warriors spies to attack for them, or they could possess us, or they could actually attack in person. This is why we must be prepared for anything."

"I will stand as acting leader." Brambleclaw took control of the situation, "And I would like Cinderheart to stand as deputy."

There was a moment of shocked silence. Obviously the Clan hadn't thought that Firestar wouldn't be coming back. Lionblaze was the first to start cheering her name and Brambleclaw's. But the last thing he felt like doing was rejoicing.

The rest of Brambleclaw's speech was a blur; Lionblaze felt like he was watching the sequence from underwater. Everything was muffled and blurry, and Lionblaze felt numb.

"Lionblaze!" The golden warrior snapped out of his trance at Cinderheart's mew and swung his head around, "Lionblaze, we... we need to talk. Before the Gathering."

"Yes! Yes. Cinderheart, I want you to know that nothing..."

"Me first," Cinderheart insisted.

Lionblaze shut his mouth and sat down, curling his tail around his paws.

The gray she-cat took a deep breath, closing her eyes. After a moment, she opened them again and started at Lionblaze. He stared into their beautiful dark blue depths, trying to read her mind, to find out exactly what she wanted, deputy or not.

"Don't you understand?" Cinderheart sudden wailed, causing Lionblaze to back up a few steps, "You just sit there looking all calm, when everything is slipping away! Everything was perfect, and now it's gone, like a freshly caught fish, jumping away and disappearing underwater forever..."

She was cut off by Lionblaze's tail, placed gently in front of her mouth. Lionblaze drew it away when Cinderheart looked more calm, and led her away from the clearing, to a more private area. He placed his tail on her shoulder and stroked her reassuringly.

"You just have to think about what you want," Lionblaze tried to think of the most mature thing he could say, without betraying his desperate need for her; a pain in his heart, a burning desire to be close, "What you'd like to do with your life, despite the offer that's been handed to you. You know how I feel about you," Lionblaze added softly, "I'll support whatever you want, as long as you're true to yourself."

Cinderheart was quiet, her face completely unreadable. She pushed Lionblaze away, but not as forceful as before.

"I want... to go back to the way things were before," She said slowly, "Before your powers, before Firestar became distant. And I know I can't change that," Cinderheart said before Lionblaze could interrupt, "So, if I survive the battle," Her mew was tense, but she was obviously trying to hide it, "I'll take the offer Brambleclaw's given me."

"But I haven't changed. At all!" Lionblaze couldn't hold back his protest any longer, "You know that! I still trust you, just as much as I did before I even knew about the prophecy. I still feel exactly the same way about you that I did that night by the lake."

Cinderheart began to turn away, but Lionblaze ran in front of her. It was now or never, "I love you, Cinderheart!"

Lionblaze silently begged Cinderheart to turn around. He needed her to say something, to give him some sign she still cared about him.

His heart soared as she began to turn her head; but she couldn't look at him, just stared at the ground, "I know." It was barely a whisper, "I've always known."

In that moment, Lionblaze realized something. This wasn't something tangible; something he could fight and beat in a battle, like the fox. For the first time in his life, as Cinderheart disappeared into the shadows, Lionblaze wished he wasn't a part of the prophecy. Not because he couldn't stand being so different he had chased the love of his life away, because he wished he could feel defeat. Or pain. Just once, so he could feel something besides this ache in his heart.


	10. Chapter 9

**A/N:** Good news; disregard my last note. My schedule's changed, so I will be able to update, and hopefully I'll finish_ FIAM_ this summer!

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><p><strong>Chapter 9<strong>

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><p><em>The moon sent a spark of <em>finality through Jayfeather as he followed his Clanmates out of the camp. He ignored the sound of thundering pawsteps behind him, and the urgency in Crescent's voice as she called for him.

"Jayfeather!" Crescent skidded to a halt beside him. "Don't tell me you're deaf as well as blind."

That caught Jayfeather's attention. "I can't... we can't talk right now," Jayfeather stumbled over his words.

"But we could _die_!" Jayfeather trotted ahead, ignoring Crescent's outburst. "Jay's Wing, you listen to me right now!"

The Medicine Cat's tribe name stopped him in his tracks, one paw still raised. "What... what was that?"

"Jayfeather, I need to talk to you, and you need to promise me you'll tell the truth. No matter what."

The black tom turned around to face the loner for the first time, and saw her. Her green eyes were glistening; pleading.

"Okay, okay," Jayfeather gave in with a huff, "Follow me."

They wandered off past the rather large group of cats Brambleclaw had chosen to go. Although, he, himself, had decided to stay and defend the camp. Jayfeather muttered some excuse about going to check on herb patches as he passed by each cat. He could sense strong confusion from Leafpool, but he didn't stop until they were safety out of earshot.

"What could possibly be so important that we should miss a Gathering that will..."

"What in StarClan's name is going on?" Crescent blurted out. Jayfeather didn't have time to wonder where she picked up that phrase. "Tell me."

Jayfeather sighed. He would have to say something to her one way or another. He would have to make it quick, though. He began with telling about the ancient Tribe, skipping the part about Rock, then went on to explain the reincarnations and his visits to the ancient times. He left out his relationship with Half Moon, but as he tried to read Crescent's responses, he found, with great frustration, he could reach nothing through her.

"You're lying." Crescent said suddenly. "There has to be something special about me. Why was I reincarnated? And... what was I like in the ancient times?" She added, a little meekly.

"You were... we were... I mean, if you weren't meant to become the first Stoneteller, then I would have... er, Jay's Wing would have..."

"Become my mate?" Crescent finished. When she got no response from Jayfeather, she added. "You feel it too, right?"

Jayfeather was about to avoid the question with another excuse, but he felt the moon's light shift; there was little time left.

"Fine. I mean, yes."

He couldn't describe it even if he tried. It was almost the same way he felt about Half Moon when he was Jay's Wing, except he didn't feel like he was using her; because he had some special role to play. It was a tug at his chest Jayfeather hadn't felt before, but something about this cat made him feel... peaceful. As if there was nothing to be angry about any more. And every time he kept something from her, had to act indifferent around her, he felt like one of his claws was being ripped out.

"You didn't answer the question."

Jayfeather growled. "I told you; the, uh, remnants from our... relationship in the ancient times must be, er, influencing..."

"Not that!" Crescent shifted her feet. "What makes me special?" She asked quietly.

Jayfeather spun around with anger. "You want me to say it? Fine. I will. You are the most beautiful cat I've ever met. When I'm with you, I don't feel like I need to be mad, even though I know it may seem so. And when..."

"Um, that's not what I meant." Jayfeather's pelt immediately began to burn as Crescent interrupted him. "I was asking what my power was."

"Oh." Jayfeather shook his head. "You can mimic any movement you see done perfectly. It will serve useful in the battle." He added at the end to balance his other statement.

"I know that's not just how you see me." Crescent almost whispered as he began to turn away.

Jayfeather sighed. "We need to go. I must perform my duty as Medicine Cat." The edge Jayfeather had to add to his voice made him cringe, but he knew he must go to the Gathering. And it seemed the only way to tell Crescent that was to break her heart.

* * *

><p>"If you're such an expert on the subject, why don't you come up here and give the lecture?"<p>

Jayfeather led Crescent into the clearing on the island to hear Cinderheart yelling over the din. She must have just explained about the Dark Forest.

"We must join our Clans and fight!" Mistystar stepped forward. "RiverClan accepts your proposal."

"As does WindClan." Onestar stepped forward after a slight pause. "We owe ThunderClan many debts of gratitude, and we will honor Firestar's wish."

Cinderheart gave a blink of gratitude in the two leaders' directions. All eyes had turned to Blackstar and ShadowClan.

"We had not come to the last Gathering due to a message from StarClan," Blackstar began. "That we must stand alone. How do we know this isn't a trap, that ThunderClan are plotting to get more territory?"

"For StarClan's sake, we could care less about territory right now!" Lionblaze's voice rose over the yowls of challenge. "Why would we make up something this intricate just to get a sliver of territory our leader already lost a life for?"

There were murmurs in the crowd; some whispers of Russetfur's name.

"StarClan hasn't covered the moon." Littlecloud's voice seemed magnified; he shouldn't have been able to speak that loudly for his old age.

All eyes turned back to Blackstar. He sighed and dipped his head. "The cat who gave us those words of advice is dead. And I trust Littlecloud with my life. ShadowClan will join in the battle for StarClan."

The reaction from the crowd was surprisingly small, almost unsure.

"When will the Dark Forest cats attack?" Ashfoot, WindClan's deputy spoke up.

"We... we don't know," Cinderheart admitted.

"Then we have the element of surprise!" Ratscar, a ShadowClan cat spoke up. "We should attack them before they finish planning!"

"And how in StarClan's name do we do that?" Icecloud called out. "We can't fight cats that are already dead."

"Yes we can."

There were gasps from around the clearing as the cats looked around to see who had spoken. Firestar's shadow appeared from the bushes around the island, and morphed into his familiar bright orange coat. But he was exhausted beyond belief; his coat was torn and mangled, his pads leaving spots of blood where he placed his paws.

There was a cry from Sandstorm as she ran to her mate, but Firestar kept bounding toward the tree as if his life depended on it.

"There is an entrance by the Moonpool. Bluestar spoke to me at Mothermouth; the Clans will survive and prosper, no matter what the... cost..."

The great leader collapsed, and his fast, heavy breathing ceased forevermore.


	11. Chapter 10

**A/N:** There's just this little chapter of more planning before the battle. My goal is to finish _FIAM_ by the end of this month, as next month I'll be participating in Camp NaNoWriMo. There will be at least three more chapters, including the epilogue.

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><p><strong>Chapter 10<strong>

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><p><em>The gray fungus reflecting the moonlight <em>led the pathway out of the Dark Forest, and into the lake territory. The stuff attached itself to the trees, and you just had to go in the direction it was facing. There was no moonlight in the Dark Forest, Ivypool remembered from his trip there so long ago, but it had led her out of the depths of the never-ending darkness once before; it was the only logical explanation of how the Dark Forest warriors planned to attack.

Jayfeather coughed, resurfacing from the young she-cat's memory. It all made sense, and the only location he could pull out of Ivypool's mind was the Moonpool; Firestar said he had found a portal, that must be where the battle would be fought.

_The Dark Forest cats probably learned about the fungus from the Tribe of No Moon_, Jayfeather guessed.

"But... the Dark Forest can't be evil!"

All the cats at the Gathering had broken up into small groups, and were whispering while the three leaders and Cinderheart discussed what to do; Sandstorm and Graystripe had carried Firestar's body to the camp to be buried. But every head turned to the small apprentice who had just spoken.

"They're training me to stand up for myself, right Ivypool?" Hollowpaw turned to the cat who had helped welcome her into the Place of No Stars.

Dovewing stepped forward to talk to her sister, but Ivypool brushed her away gently, and padded up to the roots of the oak tree.

"It's true, I've been visiting the Dark Forest in my dreams. They've been training apprentices and warriors from other Clans, like Hollowpaw." Ivypool didn't want to single out any cat she had met in her training sessions; she would face the accusations for all of them. "But it's not because we're not loyal to the Clans."

There were yowls of confusion and challenge, but Ivypool continued and the noise died down. "I'm not making up excuses. When Hawkfrost first came to me, he flattered me. And I was led to believe that I was being trained for the good of the Clan. I know how mouse-brained I was, but once you accept, you can't stop visiting the Place of No Stars when you go to sleep.

"I think they planned to kill the living cats they were training, or just get them to prove their loyalty, so they could fight their own Clanmates when the time came." Ivypool lowered her voice. "They succeeded that with Antpelt.

"I only recently figured out the true nature of the Dark Forest cats, but I couldn't stop going there. If I let it slip that I knew what they were up to, I'd be killed. So, I continued going there as a spy for the Clans."

"We can't trust anyone!" Reedwhisker, Hollowpaw's mentor called out, obviously appalled by the situation.

"This is what StarClan was warning about!" Littlecloud padded up to join Ivypool. "I knew our ancestors wouldn't tell us to let other cats die just because we weren't in the same Clan. They must not want us to be killed by cats who are loyal to the Dark Forest."

"Then how are we supposed to fight?" Dustpelt fretted.

"We still fight." Cinderheart took control of the Gathering with a confidence that surprised Jayfeather. "We will fight cats who are loyal to the Dark Forest just as if they were members of the Place of No Stars themselves." Her blue eyes were cold as she scanned the Clans, almost daring any cat who had visited the Dark Forest to step forward.

"We'll find out who we can trust soon enough," Blackstar said solemnly. "What we need to do now is to find out how to get to these warriors without dying ourselves; Firestar's proved that theory wrong."

There were some wails in response from the ThunderClan cats who had known Firestar in his youth, as well as increases murmurs from every Clan. Firestar had truly been one of the greatest leaders the forest had ever seen.

As if on cue, Graystripe and Sandstorm padded slowly into the clearing, each looking exhausted and muddy. Their eyes were downcast, obviously not wanting to give any details of their labor. But the cats all quieted down so suddenly, it was obvious everyone was waiting for them to say something.

Graystripe raised his head for a moment. "We buried him by the ancient oak, near the water."

His voice was numb, and the old tom seemed to be choking out each word. Neither cat said anything else; Graystripe put his tail on Sandstorm's shoulder, and Leafpool led a crowd of cats up to escort the couple back to the group.

Ivypool cleared her throat to get the Clans' attention. "I believe there is a portal by the Moonpool." No one seemed to question her knowledge of the place, but the wary side glances picked back up again after Firestar's interruption. There was tension in the air, and it was obvious the Dark Forest training was still on everyone's mind.

"Look, we can't just sit around here, wondering who is loyal to the Clans and who has pledged themselves to the Dark Forest." Cinderheart jumped down from the tree and twitched her tail for ThunderClan to follow her. "ThunderClan is going to fight. The other Clans can join us, or stay here. Anyone who plans to fight against us, please feel free to back down; just stay out of my way."

Cinderheart shouldered past Smokefoot, a particularly large ShadowClan tom, and away from the island, not even looking back to see who was following.

Jayfeather began to follow, but Crescent moved to stand in his way.

"Look, I don't have time for this right now..."

"Just be honest with me." Crescent's eyes shone with a determination, and Jayfeather realized he could always see this she-cat's outline, and the glowing of her eyes, along the edge of his vision.

"What is there to hide?" Jayfeather answered Crescent, his voice growing unnaturally soft, and surprisingly genuine.

Crescent was silent for a moment, waiting for most of the cats to pass by. They didn't seem to pay attention to who was staying in the clearing, and some cats still seemed to be making up their minds.

"I should feel like I don't belong here; I was accepted into your Clan and into your lives so quickly. Firestar hardly knew anything about me, and I hardly knew anything about myself," Crescent began. "But, for some reason, I feel like I've known you, and this way of life, forever. How is that possible?"

Jayfeather shook his head; deep down, he knew he should feel this conversation was a waste of time, but he secretly wanted to spend as much time as possible with this cat, especially before the battle. Something inside him wanted to stay by her side always, to keep her safe. Just having her standing in front of him, knowing she was alive and well, was the biggest relief Jayfeather had ever felt.

"I don't know." _How should I know?_ Jayfeather knew that would have been his response, had Crescent been any other cat, but something made him re-think what he was saying.

"That's not what I meant." Jayfeather turned his head towards the shining green eyes. "You've only known me for a while, but you seem to know everything about me."

Jayfeather understood her unspoken question. "Something about you just seems like you've always been here; that's probably why everyone feels they've known you before this. Maybe you were re-born to help us survive this, and you have a special aura around you so that the Clans would trust you, so that we'd let you help us."

There were a few moments of silence. "I think you can save us all."

More silence. The river of cats was trickling down to a small line, and Jayfeather saw Breezepelt, his half-brother, mutter something underneath his breath and join the Clans as the last cat out of the clearing. Without a word, both cats started running to keep up with everyone.

As they neared the Moonpool, yowls and screeches could be heard over the soft trickle of water and the pounding of paws over the ground.

"Jay's Wing." Jayfeather turned his head, and saw Crescent's image clearly in his mind's eye, her sleek pelt shining with every step. "I believe you."


	12. Chapter 11

**A/N: **The moment you've all been waiting for... the battle! To those asking about Hollyleaf and other characters that might die, you'll just have to wait and see.

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><p><strong>Chapter 11<strong>

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><p><em>Half Moon's eyes shone on the <em>edge of Jayfeather's vision as yowls of terror mixed with battle cries and the sound of ripping flesh flooded Jayfeather's ears. _It's too early, why is the battle so intense already?_

"Jayfeather!" Leafpool came running into the clearing, her voice muffled by the herbs she was carrying. "The Dark Forest knew we were planing to attack, they got here before us!" She dropped the herbs at his feet. "I managed to run back to camp to get these, but we'll need more. Especially cobwebs."

"Briarlight?" Jayfeather breathed as he digested what Leafpool had just said.

"She wanted to help, but I didn't let her. She's at the camp with a few of the queens." Leafpool explained. That made sense, the Dark Forest warriors could only get into the land of the living through the portal by the Moonpool, so it made no sense to guard the camp. "We'll need to find some place to serve as a healing area. I think we're the first Medicine Cats here."

Jayfeather didn't even pause to question Leafpool's use of the word "we", he was feeling the ground beneath his paws with a new meaning. These paw prints weren't left by the past Medicine Cats; these were the marks of the battle so long ago that Rock was responsible for.

And Rock was responsible for this attack. _Rock!_ Jayfeather lifted his head, as if he could spot Rock amidst all these fighting cats. Or would Rock be safely out of the fray, controlling one of the many Dark Forest cats that were here?

Jayfeather shoved that thought away. "The fern clump on the edge of the pool." Jayfeather said frantically, "It's far enough from the fighting, and we can still use the water to treat wounds. There may be cobwebs entwined there, too."

He heard Leafpool's thundering paw steps behind him as he charged around the edge of the clearing, trying not to focus on the sound of fighting, knowing that Crescent in the middle of it.

A thought almost stopped Jayfeather in his tracks. Which cats were fighting for the Dark Forest? What kind of cats would Lionblaze be fighting? Or what if the Dark Forest cats _could _injure his brother, while the living cats couldn't?

Jayfeather skidded to a halt when he reached the ferns. His paws groped between the tall grasses, looking for cobwebs. There was a few stringy remains, but most of the thickest, most effective webs must have been destroyed while the Clans were jumping into the fight.

"I brought Littlecloud's herbs." Willowshine's breathy voice sounded behind Jayfeather. "He's still weak, and RiverClan is a long way away, so I thought it would be easier if..."

"Great, save the explanations for after the battle," Jayfeather cut the young medicine cat off. "Did you bring cobwebs?"

"A few," Willowshine responded. "Most of them broke while I was running here, but I think Mothwing's helping Kestrelflight with WindClan's store; between the two of them, they should be bringing plenty."

Jayfeather took all the herbs from Willowshine and began sorting them. For the first time in moons, Jayfeather found himself wishing for sight so he could look up from the ferns and see if Crescent and Lionblaze were still in one piece. But he pushed that thought away; it was juvenile, and wishing wouldn't help his Clanmates in this battle.

_Chamomile for strength; dock, goldenrod, and comfrey for scratches; marigold and oak for infection; cobwebs for bleeding..._ Jayfeather found himself repeating the different herbs and their uses as they passed through his paws to take his mind off of things.

As more time passed, Jayfeather began to get anxious. The moon must be almost halfway down the sky by now, and Mothwing and Kestrelflight hadn't gotten back yet. But what worried him even more was that they hadn't treated any wounds at all. Willowshine had disappeared to look for more cobwebs a while ago, and Leafpool had entered the battle as soon as all the herbs were sorted. Jayfeather found himself feeling useless and vulnerable.

That was when he heard a particularly loud yell from Squirrelflight.

"Jayfeather! _Jayfeather! _Help!"

Jayfeather stood up and swiveled his head, trying to locate the ginger cat's call from the rest of the yowling erupting from every corner of the Moonpool. Then there was a wail from Mothwing, and he scented Kestrelflight behind her as they stumbled into the clearing, each carrying a large bundle of herbs.

Mothwing dropped hers and ran into the fight before Jayfeather could stop her. He jumped from paw to paw, itching to find out what had happened. After a few moments, he heard the sound of a body being dragged across the clearing.

_No..._ Jayfeather found himself pleading to StarClan. _Please don't let it be Crescent..._

"It... it's Brambleclaw." Squirrelflight's voice was strangely frantic. Jayfeather thought she and Brambleclaw had ignored each other once they found out who Jayfeather and Lionblaze's real mother was.

"He launched himself in front of me, and the mange ball that was attacking me bit him." Squirrelflight explained, her voice as fast as lightning. "He saved my life, but now..."

Jayfeather reached down to sniff his leader's pelt. The death scent was just starting to linger over his fur, and Jayfeather felt a pang of regret.

"He's gone to StarClan. It's too late."

Squirrelflight growled in rage. "That hairless piece of fox-dung!" She screeched, and launched herself at the nearest Dark Forest cat.

_Hairless?_ Could Rock have killed ThunderClan's newest leader?

Suddenly, the body at Jayfeather's paws gasped for air, and Brambleclaw staggered to his feet.

"Brambleclaw? What..." _What happened? Is Crescent still alive? How many of them are there? Are we winning?_

All Jayfeather's questions were cut off when the tabby tom interrupted him. "It's Bramblestar now."

Before Jayfeather could even sniff out his wounds, Bramblestar ran back into the fight after his ex-mate.

_At least let me do my job!_ Jayfeather wanted to shout to the clearing. Mumbling to himself, Jayfeather went back to the bundles the new arrivals had dropped, and began sorting through them, falling back into his habit of reciting all the names of the herbs in his head.

"Jayfeather!" The medicine cat was pulled out of his thoughts once more, a leaf of ragwort still hanging in his mouth. He was beginning to get sick of not being able to tell who was calling his name.

"Jayfeather!" The voice was closer, and Jayfeather could distinguish it as Willowshine's.

"What is it? Who's hurt?" Jayfeather ran up to the she-cat, grabbing some cobwebs on his way.

Even without looking, Jayfeather could tell she was shaking her head. "No, it's not that. It's Leaf..." She trailed off. Jayfeather could only stand there, his mouth agape, waiting for a response. "Well, I think you'll want to see this."


	13. Chapter 12

**A/N:** This chapter is so overdue and so late no amount of apologizing will suffice. School is much more time consuming than I thought it would be, but I'm so close to being done here, I may be able to pump out the rest of FIAM before the end of the school year.

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><p><strong>Chapter 12<strong>

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><p><em>For StarClan's sake, above the moon,<em> I can't _see _anything!

Jayfeather bit back the cold reply to Willowshine, and silently followed her around the clearing to get closer to the battle. Kestrelflight and Mothwing could handle any injuries while he was gone. Not like there had been a surplus of cats who were yowling for the Medicine Cats' help.

"J-Jay... feather..."

The gasp of a dying cat tore Jayfeather away from Willowshine's side. The blind cat almost tripped over a lump on the ground, whom Jayfeather recognized as Mossypaw from the previous Gathering. He felt blood splatter his pelt from every direction, and more than once he felt his paws sink into a puddle of either blood or water. Jayfeather decided he didn't want to know.

The Medicine Cat felt his heart sink when he stopped at the edge of a fluffy gray tom's death bed. He didn't need to inspect Graystripe's wounds to know that the cat only had a few seconds of life left, the smell of death already thick, enveloping the old cat.

"Don't speak." Jayfeather held a paw to the deep gash in Graystripe's stomach, as if he could stop the bleeding. He felt his paws turn sticky instantly.

The tom's body shook and convulsed as he coughed; a horrible, choking sound. Graystripe leaned upward towards the Medicine Cat and Jayfeather could barely make out his last words. "Now I can be with my best friend again."

"No! I won't leave you. Not again." His real mother's yowl entwined with Graystripe's dying breath. Jayfeather felt Willowshine's presence beside him.

"You're standing behind a tree. You can watch Leafpool from here, I'll take Graystripe to our clearing."

For once, Jayfeather didn't bother reminding Willowshine he was blind. He was too focused on the scene fading into his line of sight before him.

Leafpool and Crowfeather were fighting back-to-back, the world of the Dark Forest seemed to be surrounding them. Both had their fair share of injuries. Jayfeather couldn't be sure through his blurry dream-vision, but he thought Crowfeather was missing an ear.

"We don't have a chance. We never had a chance." Jayfeather wasn't sure if Crowfeather was talking about the battle or his relationship with Leafpool.

"Well, that didn't stop me, did it?"

"You'll die!"

"Does it look like I care?" Leafpool's eyes shone with a fire Jayfeather had never seen before. Her voice sounded young and full of energy, and with every word she seemed to be gaining strength, batting every Dark Forest cat in sight with more and more force.

"I always dreamed of going down like this, fighting next to you." Crowfeather's voice had softened. "This is always the part where I talk about Feathertail, how I barely knew her. And then about how you burned so bright you could block out the outline of her that always seemed to be imprinted on my eyelids. And how I thought Nightcloud..."

"Or you could shut up and say you love me before we run out of time!" Leafpool cut off her ex-mate. "It didn't matter to me then, and it doesn't matter to me now. My Clan wasn't strong enough to pull you away from me until I'd realized there might actually be a chance for us. But sometimes..." Leafpool dealt a killing blow to a Dark Forest tabby. "Remembering..." Another blow. "Just isn't..." Another cat dead. "Enough!"

Leafpool broke through the circle, swiping at every cat she saw. She was heading away from Crowfeather, running from him. Like she could just put everything she had said behind her, even though Jayfeather could tell she had meant every word of it.

"I love you, Leafpool!" Jayfeather felt helpless, watching Crowfeather being swarmed with Dark Forest cats, his gray head disappearing under a sea of transparent pelts.

With a yowl, a dark shape flung itself on top of the mob, fighting its way through with vicious claws. Just before Jayfeather's vision went dark, he caught a glimpse of the cat who was trying to save Crowfeather. It was Nightcloud.

"Well, wasn't that just adorable?" Jayfeather whirled around to face the soft voice as smooth as a snake. Tigerstar's outline was just visible in his fading dream-vision. "My son, a Clan leader! I should be proud, but he's letting his Medicine Cat stand by and watch the battle without even doing his job! That needs to be remedied right away."

Jayfeather shot out from behind the tree as Tigerstar sprang, tearing his way through fighting groups of cats, knocking himself into StarClan-knows-who on the way across the clearing.

"Jayfeather?" The Medicine Cat turned his head towards the she-cat that was running alongside him.

"Ivypool, run!" The cat's responding grunt gave Jayfeather the answer that Tigerstar had caught up with them. There were yowls from both fighting cats, and Jayfeather blindly swiped at the air, trying futile efforts to save Ivypool's life.

He felt the presence of an old ThunderClan cat next to him. "Thank StarClan," Jayfeather breathed. "Dustpelt, help!"

Dustpelt just shook his head as Ivypool fell to the ground.

"I always knew you were loyal to me, Dustpelt." Tigerstar was holding out the young warrior, keeping her neck exposed for Dustpelt.

"Traitor!" Jayfeather launched himself at Dustpelt, rage turning his vision red. He swiped with incredible accuracy, forgetting his promise to StarClan to protect. His only focus now was to kill. Kill Dustpelt, protect Ivypool.

"Jayfeather, you're killing him!" The she-cat's yowl made Jayfeather stop. He dropped Dustpelt's body and began to back away, not able to take in what he'd just done.

"Thank... you..." Dustpelt collapsed to the ground, and everything hit Jayfeather at once. His bloodstained paws suddenly felt like giant boulders. What had he done?

"No matter, silly Medicine Cat." Tigerstar growled. "More for me!"

"Get away from her!" Breezepelt pushed past the Medicine Cat, knocking him on his side, and Jayfeather heard the slicing of skin as the black tom broke into the fight.

"B-Breezepelt!" Tigerstar was stammering, fear lacing his usually slick voice. "Didn't you see what just happened? Your father never loved you or your mother! Don't you want to get back at him? Don't you want _revenge_?"

The dark warrior paused; Jayfeather could tell his jaws were posed for the killing bite. "Thanks for the tip." With a last yowl, Tigerstar faded into nothingness.


	14. Chapter 13

**A/N: **And now, the conclusion of FIAM. There's an epilogue, but this is the last official chapter. I tried not to make it too cheesy.

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><p><strong>Chapter 13<strong>

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><p>"<em>Jayfeather?" Half Moon's yowl traveled across <em>the roar of the battlefield.

Jayfeather's ears pricked and his head swung around, as if he could find Half Moon with his sightless eyes. Had the white she-cat seen what he had done? Half Moon had become the Tribe's first Healer, and she had been taught by Jay's Wing. Would she cast Jayfeather away now that he had broken his promise to protect to StarClan?

The Medicine Cat began running blindly towards the center of the battle, thinking only of Half Moon and how he would explain this to her before she made up her mind. He tripped over something furry; the leg of a cat. Jayfeather stumbled and tried to scent who had stopped him, hoping the leg belonged to someone who was still alive.

"Are you mouse-brained?" It was Ivypool, thank StarClan. "You can't just jump into the heat of battle and hope that you can tell the difference between a rock and a cat!"

"I was looking for Ha... Crescent. She was calling, and I can't see..."

Ivypool sighed. "You have more important things to worry about right now. For one thing, oh, I don't know, Blossomfall's dead!"

If any other cat had been calling for him besides Half Moon, Jayfeather would have stopped in his tracks to find the ThunderClan cat's body. But his mind seemed to have been re-wired, and all he could think about was finding his Tribe mate.

"Well, if she's dead, there's not much I can do, is there?"

Surprise and disbelief rushed at Jayfeather in waves from Ivypool. "Fine. Don't even bother looking for your precious Crescent. It looks like she's already found you."

Half Moon's familiar sweet scent laced with the smell of the mountains flooded Jayfeather's nose as he turned around, forgetting his anger at Ivypool.

"Crescent! Thank StarClan you're..."

A sharp blow knocked him a tail-length to the side. A yowl from Ivypool told him whatever had interrupted him was now going for Ivypool.

"Crescent's gone, you nosy Medicine Cat. My granddaughter was too weak to finish this."

_Granddaughter._ Realization hit Jayfeather almost as hard as Crescent's swipe.

"But... Crescent, I don't..."

"She's right," Jayfeather cut into Ivypool's question. "Crescent's gone. We're talking to Bright Star."

"Who's that?" Ivypool was cut shot again as a _thudding_ sound told Jayfeather Bright Star had pinned her down.

"It's not just the Dark Forest attacking us... the Tribe's evil ancestors are here as well. But they take the form of a Dark Forest cat because they can't appear as themselves." Jayfeather shuffled to his feet. "Bright Star's one of them."

More calls and the sound of ripping flesh told Jayfeather Bright Star and Ivypool were fighting. "So... I have to kill her?"

Ivypool's question turned Jayfeather's blood to ice. How could they stop Bright Star without hurting Half Moon?

"No. No, there has to be another way..." Jayfeather's thoughts swirled around his head, introducing themselves to him rapid-fire. If he could find a way to speak to Crescent, maybe he could help her regain control of herself.

"C-Crescent, I know you're still in there." Jayfeather padded forward, and with each step he found his dream-vision slowly replacing the darkness that was permanently blocking his vision. "You're the strongest cat I've ever met. I know you can fight this. You believe me, right?"

Bright Star cackled at the futility of Jayfeather's words. He was able to see the outlines of the two cats fighting; Ivypool looked pretty beaten up. Jayfeather wasn't sure how much longer she could fend for herself. The Medicine Cat felt a rush of adrenaline, and he realized what his duty was. He had killed Dustpelt a few moments before in an attempt to save Ivypool, now he needed to save her again without hurting any other cat.

"Before the battle, I told you I thought you could save us all." Jayfeather's words poured out of his mouth, like the water falling down the waterfall in the Tribe's mountain territory. "You said you believed me. When I first took you to the ThunderClan camp, I said Firestar would know what to do. You said you believed me. And when I left the Tribe's territory, you said you'd wait for me forever. I've held onto that belief since I returned to the lake. Now I'm asking you to believe me one more time when I say, I love you, Half Moon!"

Crescent's body collapsed in front of Jayfeather, and Ivypool pushed her off. His dream-vision faded before he could get a close enough to look to see if Crescent was still breathing.

"Is... is Half Moon OK?" Jayfeather was afraid to approach Ivypool, in case she was still touchy about his outburst.

"She's fine, but she's out cold. I'll stay with her, that was probably emotionally exhausting." Ivypool paused, and Jayfeather imagined she was giving him a questioning glance. He kicked himself mentally for mentioning Crescent's Tribe name.

"She's reincarnated, isn't she?" Before Jayfeather could answer, Ivypool shook her head. "It doesn't matter now, go and help the..." Her voice faded completely and Jayfeather was plunged back into darkness.

"What, Ivypool? What is it?" Jayfeather listened, and realized something was wrong. There was no more yowling, no more cries of war. In fact, there were _thumping_ sounds all around him as each Dark Forest cat fell to the ground, and dissolved into the ground of the Moonpool.

There was a moment of murmurs and confusion as all the Clan cats wondered what had just happened. Then Lionblaze's yowl of triumph broke through the wall of silence. He was soon joined in by the rest of the Clans, and their cries seemed to resonate off the trees surrounding the clearing.

"I... I'm sorry, Ivypool. About Blossomfall. I didn't mean..." Jayfeather stammered, trying to explain his sudden outburst.

"It's OK. I'd seen the way you look at Crescent. I should have known."

"But I can't _look_..." Jayfeather cut himself off. Every time he looked in Crescent's direction, he saw her outline. He knew his response would have been a lie.

"H- Hollowpaw!" An anguished cry sounded above the yowls. Jayfeather didn't need to examine the body to know Hollowpaw had died.

"She's dead." Ivypool whispered.

"Does any other cat look hurt?" Jayfeather prompted Ivypool.

"Um... Nightcloud. She's by the reeds on the other side of the clearing. Crowfeather's with her."

With a nod in the new warrior's direction, Jayfeather skirted the edge of the clearing, tripping over rocks and other debris in his hurry. He skidded to a halt before he could crash into Crowfeather, bent over his mate's body. He scented Leafpool as well.

"What happened?" Jayfeather asked Leafpool quietly.

"Bad stomach wound. I don't think..." She trailed off, that was all Jayfeather needed to know.

"She's going to be OK, right? Why aren't you helping her?" Crowfeather's voice was laced with anguish and fear.

"Crowfeather..." Leafpool rested her tail on Crowfeather's shoulder.

Jayfeather padded over to the other side of Nightcloud's body, and pressed some cobwebs to her wound. He had never much liked Nightcloud, but his recent encounter with Bright Star had taught him the true meaning of what it meant to be a Medicine Cat.

"Don't waste your supplies, Jayfeather. It's too late for me." Jayfeather pulled away from Nightcloud at her croaking protest.

"Don't say that! I can't loose you." Crowfeather bent his head close to his mate's.

"You know that's not true." Nightcloud's voice was forced, but still surprisingly strong. "I saw you and Leafpool fighting. I've known you've never stopped loving her since we met. I was just in denial until now." Nightcloud interrupted herself by coughing, and Jayfeather rubbed her chest to avoid feeling useless. "The more you rejected me, the more I followed you. I thought I was furious at you, but now I realize there's no one I should blame but myself."

"I... I'm sorry, Nightcloud. I'm so sorry... please, Nightcloud!" Crowfeather's pleads drowned out Nightcloud's last breath.

"I'll handle this." Leafpool addressed Jayfeather, then returned to Crowfeather's side.

"Good. There's someone I need to talk to." Jayfeather didn't have to go far. He found Mothwing standing by the Moonpool, probably staring at her own reflection.

"Some battle. I imagine Millie's beside herself." Jayfeather sat down beside his fellow Medicine Cat.

"She's stoic. Probably still in shock. But I think she's become stronger after she lost Graystripe and Blossomfall." Mothwing turned to Jayfeather. "But you didn't come here to gossip with me about the fight, did you?"

When Jayfeather didn't respond, Mothwing continued. "You and Crescent, huh? She seemed very nice. And a surprisingly good fighter. Until that cat... Bright Star, right?"

"I've broken my promise to StarClan at least twice in the past day." Jayfeather hung his head. "First Dustpelt, then Crescent... I don't know what to do."

"Well, it seems to me you didn't have a chance to be with Crescent in your past life, did you? And Cinderpelt was reincarnated to follow a different path than the one she took before. Maybe you should think about doing the same."

"Before I end up like my parents." Jayfeather finished for Mothwing.

"You seemed to know what you were doing when you were fighting Dustpelt." Mothwing reasoned. "Am I correct in assuming you can see when you're looking at Crescent?"

"Yes. But I've been a Medicine Cat for so long, I just don't know how I'd live with myself either way."

"It might be easier to deal with the pain if you have someone to share it with."

Mothwing's logic impressed Jayfeather, and he realized she was right. It would be harder having to look at Crescent every day and know they couldn't be together than having to deal with resigning his Medicine Cat position.

"Do you believe in StarClan now?" Jayfeather changed the subject, feeling in better spirits than he could ever remember.

Mothwing laughed, "I guess I don't really have a choice, do I?"

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><p><strong>AN:** I hate putting author's notes at the end of stories, but I must respond to a review and I didn't want to spoil anything at the beginning: for WildCroconaw, and anyone else who I didn't make this clear enough to, Crescent is not dead. She just collapsed. I've edited the story to make it more obvious. I apologize for the lack of clarity.


	15. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

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><p><em> The rising moon was clear and <em>half-formed above the ThunderClan camp. A soft leaf-fall breeze stirred the blanket of colored leaves that littered the stony ground below. The battle with the Dark Forest had left all four Clans in chaos, everyone was mourning the loss of Sandstorm, who had collapsed in the center of the clearing as soon as the Clan had entered the camp after the battle.

The majority of all four Clans were gathered in the ThunderClan camp, as it had been the closest source of herbs for the wounded cats. The stronger of the cats had headed to the ShadowClan camp to increase their medical supply, and the other cats were huddled together in groups, murmuring about the battle.

Lionblaze's head swung from side to side, looking for Cinderheart. Through all the confusion, he hadn't seen her since he had confessed his love for her. Lionblaze needed to know she wasn't harmed. He spotted her at the base of the Highrock, and pelted towards her, dodging clusters of his Clanmates as if his life depended on it.

Cinderheart saw Lionblaze before he reached her. She knew in that instant exactly what he was going to ask her, and started talking before he could say anything would make her feel worse than she already felt.

"Lionblaze, I'm sorry." Her voice cracked at her first attempt at a sentence, but grew more confident as she went on. "You know how I feel about you, but I know what my dream is now. I want to lead ThunderClan. This kind of power gives me the confidence you, or any other cat could never come close to."

"I..." Lionblaze hung his head. "I'm sorry, too, Cinderheart." He started to pad away, his tail dragging on the ground, but Cinderheart's voice made his head whip around.

"I'll always love you."

Lionblaze smiled. He wasn't sure why, it didn't feel like a time to be happy. It may have looked like a halfhearted smile, but all his heart was bursting with relief.

"I know."

* * *

><p>"Leafpool!"<p>

Leafpool would have known that voice anywhere. She was carrying delicate cobwebs to the other side of the ThunderClan camp to try to stop Icewing's bleeding, but once she heard Crowfeather's voice, she swung around and headed back for the Medicine Cat den. There were plenty of cats who she'd run into who'd need cobwebs.

"Leafpool, I know you can hear me! Please, just stop for a second!"

The resigned Medicine Cat slowed her pace so Crowfeather could catch up to her, but didn't stop walking. "I'm very busy right now, Crowfeather. I can't talk without breaking these cobwebs, which every cat in this clearing probably needs right now."

"Then just listen."

"I can't forgive you, Tigerheart." Dovewing had been looking for Ivypool, but had found Tigerheart chasing her instead.

"I know I should have told you," Tigerheart began. "But you don't know what it's like in the Dark Forest. I fought against them, didn't I?"

Dovewing turned to look at Tigerheart for a second, then looked at her paws. "Ivypool didn't want to attack your brother." She changed the subject on purpose. "And maybe I don't know what it's like, but she does. And so do you. So you should know, if Tigerstar had asked you to kill me, you would have."

"That's not true."

Bramblestar stood in front of Squirrelflight to stop her from walking away. "I never stopped loving you."

Squirrelflight couldn't bear to look at her ex-mate. "No amount of apologizing could compensate for what I've done. I wouldn't blame you if you never want to see me ever again."

"In the moment, I was furious with you."

Heathertail had happened upon Lionblaze by chance, when she had arrived with the herbs from ShadowClan to treat Cinderheart. When Cinderheart was moved to the Medicine Cat den, they were left alone. "But now, after all this, I'm actually grateful."

"We were young. And stupid."

Leafpool couldn't bear the look on Crowfeather's already heartbroken face. But she just had to tell him. "I'm going to be a Medicine Cat again. My Clan needs me more than you do."

"I'll always need you."

Dovewing knew in her heart that was true for the both of them, but she also knew in her heart what was right, and would could never be.

"It doesn't matter anymore. We both know we've made up our minds."

Squirrelflight hung her head. "You'll be a great leader, Bramblestar. I've come to terms with my choices I've made in the past, and all that's left to do is move on."

"Yes, we all need to move on."

* * *

><p>"By the power of StarClan, I give you your true name as Medicine Cat..." Jayfeather spoke the words at the trampled, battle-scarred ground of the Moonpool to Leafpool and Briarlight in turn. He would give up his position as Medicine Cat formally after he had shared tongues with StarClan this half moon.<p>

Jayfeather felt Mothwing brush against him as he put his nose to the still sparkling, clear water of the Moonpool. Right now, he didn't care what StarClan would think of him. All that mattered was that he could finally be with Half Moon as a warrior of ThunderClan.

"Welcome, Jayfeather." Firestar's kind words woke Jayfeather from his sleep, and he blinked in the new light of his dream-vision. "We have much to thank you for."

"You're... you're not mad?" Jayfeather lifted a paw, looking around the circle of cats who had formed around him by the Moonpool.

"Of course not." Sandstorm padded out of the group to entwine her tail with Firestar's. "StarClan has been rebuilt, and so have the Clans.

"The war has ended between the dead Tribes. The Tribe of No Moon will never threaten the peaceful grounds of our ancestors ever again."

That voice; Jayfeather knew that voice from somewhere. It felt almost like trying to recall a dream. His past suddenly became a blur, and he didn't allow his hopes to rise until he saw the face of the speaker.

"Hollyleaf."

His sister's green eyes stared back at him from the front lines of StarClan. Her black coat glittered with stars, and she looked more beautiful than ever.

"You... you gave me the yarrow all those moons ago, didn't you?" Jayfeather wanted to run towards her, to tell her about Half Moon and everything else that had happened since she had gone, but suddenly his feet felt like ice; unable to move from where they stood planted. "You... you really died."

Hollyleaf nodded, her smile seeming to brighten all the other stars in each cats' pelt. "I admire you for choosing to become a warrior. I know how hard that can be. But it is unlikely we will ever see each other again." Before Jayfeather could protest, she went on. "And so, to guide your paws on your journey to becoming a great warrior, StarClan will return something the Tribe of No Moon unfairly took from you when they sent you back to the lake."

Jayfeather's eyes were the brightest blue and round with sight as he gazed upon his mate, surrounded by the rest of his Clanmates. He never imagined the forest could look so beautiful.

"By the power of StarClan, I give you your warrior name..." Crescent's sleek, battle-scarred white pelt seemed to glow beneath the light of the setting moon as Bramblestar addressed her. When he was done, she turned to the group of cats behind her, her green eyes meeting Jayfeather's as all the four Clans' chanting stirred the stars themselves.

"Lunarheart! Lunarheart!"


End file.
